The music in the nineties came in like lion and out like a well polished luxury car, Bling Bling! Early in the decade a handful of bands managed to open the doors and let in the flood, washing away years of hair product and sequined spandex. By the mid nineties, music had once again lost it's fire. As a high school freshman I was just beginning to develop an interest in music and the cultures fueled by underground bands. Yes, 1996 was my year of discovery. The same year the "Macarena" was blazing up the charts, a new generation of music was brewing. Just under the surface, below the pop wreckage that had become of grunge so many new bands were emerging. Words like Alternative and Ska were falling in between the broad genres of Metal and Rock and replacing dated terms like New Wave. Leading the charge was a So Cal party band called Sublime.

My first experience with Sublime was the same as so many others, mid nineties watching late night MTV. From the very first measure in Santeria, I was enamored with new sound. I had certainly heard the name of this band around my school, but this was before widespread internet access or even a drivers license. When I finally did make it to the record store, I purchased the only Sublime CD in stock; Robbin' The Hood. I was completely blown away by this album. Not only did this sound absolutely nothing like what was playing on the radio, it was raw chaos cut deep with soul. Driven by a thunderous bass sound recycling dub style riffs into something completely new, the rhythm section was rounded off with tight drums and the unique blending of a DJ. Bradley Nowell used this foundation to unleash some of the most passionate and personal lyrics in the last decade. For me the track that defines this album is STP. The pain and desperation leave you questioning your own choices in life.

I used to think this album was fucking tits. But that's because I always listened to it on Mushrooms, and everything's tits on boomers. But the album lacks a lot of cohesion, uses a bunch of rehashed material, pits it up against some hilarious soliloquies from a crazy drunk dude, and some really great songs on top of it all. For me, it's a classic, but not because it's a great album. In the end it's just a really good one.

Sublime's second offering isn't exactly their best outing, but this definitely has a place amongst the hearts of fans of the band. Though there is a lot of filler on the album, there are also quite a few gems that would become more or less staples: Greatest Hits, Saw Red, Pool Shark, Steppin' Razor, Lincoln Highway Dub, S.T.P., and Boss D.J. are all more than solid Sublime tunes that are able to keep this record a float. There is also some nice dub work from the band, and it's pretty impressive that this was recording with less than modest equipment in a basement/home-studio setting.

Robbin' the Hood is a completely underrated album. The questionable quality and prominent joke tracks may be a turn-off for some, but when Sublime really lets loose on tracks like Pool Shark, Greatest Hits, and STP, the groovin' really gets goin.' Boss DJ is another highlight, just frontman Bradley Nowell crooning to us alone with his guitar. Humorous lyrics grace some of the other tracks and the Raleigh Soliloquys are hilarious. If you're looking for straightforward Sublime music I wouldn't go for this album, but if you've acquired the Sublime taste then definitely pick this up.